In many reported cases, the fraudsters state there is an unauthorized purchase on your Amazon account, and they offer to “refund” you for it. In some cases, they claim to have already refunded you, but state that they accidentally transferred the wrong amount. They then ask that you send them back the excess funds. In other incidents, victims are told their Amazon account has been hacked and the only way to regain access to it is to purchase gift cards and share their details with the caller. In each of these scenarios, the Amazon impersonators are after one thing – your money.
With these kinds of Amazon impersonation scams on the rise, it’s important to keep these tips in mind whenever you receive an unexpected phone call – even if you have an account or business relationship with the company that’s calling:
• Verify the caller. If you were not expecting a phone call from the company, or they are asking for personal and financial information, hang up and contact the company from the phone number listed on their verified website. Don’t give out any of your information to an unverified caller or allow them to remotely gain access to your computer or account.
• A company will never ask you to pay with a gift card. Any time someone asks you to purchase a gift card as a form of payment, it should raise an immediate red flag. Gift card scams are on the rise, largely because the funds are untraceable. Once you give a scammer gift card information, the money is gone.
• If you don’t recognize the number, don’t answer. If you miss a phone call from a company actually trying to get in contact with you, they will likely leave a voicemail or send you an email. If you believe the message may be legitimate, you should follow up by calling them back at their publicly-listed telephone number. You can always ask to be transferred to the correct person. The same applies to text messages and emails. If you receive any kind of electronic message that raises concerns about your accounts, call the company directly – and look up the number yourself to make sure you’re not accidentally calling a crook.
• Check your account. If you receive a phone call saying there is a problem with your Amazon account, your bank account, or any other online account, one of the easiest ways you can spot a scam is by logging into your account on your own. See if you can access your account the way you normally do and check if there are any notifications in your account that would raise concern. Review your account transactions and activity before taking any other steps. If you do see something is wrong, reach out to the company directly.
With cybercrime on the rise, and not going away anytime soon, it’s more important than ever to be vigilant with your online habits. Always be skeptical of unsolicited phone calls, use strong, unique online passwords, and don’t access your digital accounts on public computers or public Wi-Fi connections. If you notice any strange activity in your BankFive account, contact us immediately.